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Matt1983

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Hi all, sorry for a first post that ask alot without giving anything first but i hope you dont hold it against me.

Having wanted one from my first visit to La Rochelle harbour aged 6, i'm finally going to be in a position to be able to buy a boat this time next year. My current plan is to buy something about 8-9m with a view to spending long weekends on it and pottering up and down the coast close to where its moored ( prob north Devon).

Firstly as i understand it i don't actaully need any qualifications to be incharge of the boat but as that would be retty much suicide for myself and anyone on the boat with me what qualifications should i actually get in the next year or so untill it buy it?

Secondly any other particular mistakes amateures make / don't budget for?
 
Welcome to the forum, and apologies that you have not had a response, most unlike this forum.

Unfortunately there is no easy answer to the ..........what boat? You need to start with budget to buy
annual running costs that you can afford; mooring, insurance, maintenance, fuel

This will help you to work out petrol or diesel. Petrol boats are cheaper to buy and maintain, but cost a lot more to run on the sea.

How much accommodation you need. Cuddies can look good, until you try to overnight in them. Our first mobo was a cuddy. We kept her 3 months before trading up to a cruiser.

Any training is good news, and may help you to decide on your purchase direction.

If you can answer the above, then this forum will really be able to confuse you with lots of different directions, but good fun nonetheless.

Good luck for the future.
 
So far as qualifications go, I'd start by doing Day Skipper, both theory (which will give you the basics of navigation, pilotage, the Collision Regulations, buoyage, a bit of weather forecasting and so forth) and practical with a good RYA - Approved sea school. There are lots of them out there, and several good and experienced instructors post on here.

The North Devon coast can be quite challenging: there aren't many places to seek refuge if the weather suddenly turns nasty, a lot of the coastline is unyielding rock rather than nice soft, sandy beaches and tides are quite strong. That shouldn't necessarily put you off but it underlines the need to be prepared. From your post, you've obviously given some thought to this so I'm sure you will be fine.

Everyone on here was a beginner once and, between us, we have probably made most mistakes known to man. The most common mistake that people make is to assume that a boat handles like a car (it doesn't) has brakes (it doesn't) or will remain planted where you position it (it won't) - again, some instruction will help you with this. Other than that, I think the main thing that takes people aback is the costs of boating. Even the smallest, simplest boat is quite a complex machine and the mechanical and electrical bits of it need regular (and expensive) cosseting. I have owned my current small mobo - bought nearly new - for about eight years and have spent more than two thirds of the initial purchase price on maintenance during that time. This includes one major and expensive repair but that's quite common.

This forum is, quite simply, the best source of information, advice and sometimes sympathy that you can get on the web. Once you've got some more specific questions, come back on here and ask them - someone will know the answer. Don't be put off by people - like me - going on and on about cost, mishaps and accidents: powerboating is the most fun you can have with your clothes on (well - most people keep their clothes on, anyway :eek: :D) Enjoy it!
 
Hi Matt and welcome. I was in your position 2 years ago and from my experience you're doing the right thing by getting the course done first. I did a power boat level 2 which is very basic but it completely changed my mind on the type of boat I wanted. Before I did the course I was looking at American open sports boats but the course sent me in the direction of fisher boats for the handling and hard top and ended up with a Beneteau Antares 6.
I think the first year of owning a boat is finding out what you like and what you don't and unfortunately for my wallet I wanted something bigger! I now have the Antares 30, I'm sure that will be big enough for my needs for sometime unless I find some buried treasure:)
As the others said find your budget first (then add10%!) and work to that. You'll have great fun looking for her, I take it you'll be visiting the boat show?
Good luck.
 
There are a few collateral benefits of doing a training course: it might help feed your boating fix until you get your own boat; it'll give you something to do on those dark winter evenings; and it'll give you the chance to try some different boats.
 
wonky said:
Hi Matt and welcome. I was in your position 2 years ago and from my experience you're doing the right thing by getting the course done first. I did a power boat level 2 which is very basic but it completely changed my mind on the type of boat I wanted. Before I did the course I was looking at American open sports boats but the course sent me in the direction of fisher boats for the handling and hard top and ended up with a Beneteau Antares 6.
I think the first year of owning a boat is finding out what you like and what you don't and unfortunately for my wallet I wanted something bigger! I now have the Antares 30, I'm sure that will be big enough for my needs for sometime unless I find some buried treasure:)
As the others said find your budget first (then add10%!) and work to that. You'll have great fun looking for her, I take it you'll be visiting the boat show?
Good luck.
Click to expand...

Would echo Wonky, my firts boat (still on the driveway) was a 19ft sport boat with a cuddy, great for days out and easy to trail and store but not really practical to spend the night on, a year and a bit later we now have a Bayliner 2855 6 berth (somewhat snuggly lol) flybridge and are planning our next purchase!
Again cost of ownership should be given some serious consideration, especially if you have a berth in a marina!
RYA Power level 2 would be a good place to start then move onto Day Skipper as your experience grows, either way enjoy boating, the lifestyle is worth every penny IMHO
 
Matt1983 said:
Hi all, sorry for a first post that ask alot without giving anything first but i hope you dont hold it against me.

Having wanted one from my first visit to La Rochelle harbour aged 6, i'm finally going to be in a position to be able to buy a boat this time next year. My current plan is to buy something about 8-9m with a view to spending long weekends on it and pottering up and down the coast close to where its moored ( prob north Devon).

Firstly as i understand it i don't actaully need any qualifications to be incharge of the boat but as that would be retty much suicide for myself and anyone on the boat with me what qualifications should i actually get in the next year or so untill it buy it?

Secondly any other particular mistakes amateures make / don't budget for?
Click to expand...
Have a look around north Devon to see what boats people own.That tends to be a clue to what sort of boats are best suited to those waters. Its also likely to be the boats for sale locally, though you can of course widen the search (time consuming) and have it sailed or transported.
 
Hi Matt,
I did the RYA shore based Day Skipper course as a night school course through the winter and a Power Boat Level 2 course, both of which I have found very useful. When you have your boat, don't be afraid to ask for advice or help, especially when berthing in a marina! Try and work out your annual running costs as best you can, these will be considerably more than you would expect.
 
Hi Matt

here is my best advice------ i did the day skipper theory with chichester maritime-great, then powerboat level2 ( which converted easily to International certificate of Competence) then my radio license.So Far so good but THEN- i decided to go out. it was a disaster- i got 10 yards in the marina and the wind got hold and i ended up having to have the boat lifted as not only did i go against wall ( back aND SIDES) hit bottom but collected a rope withy some soddin break pads threded on-( dont ask me what that was).

So i decided to have lessons and am now more confident and doing ok- touch wood. It was the wind effect that i had not bargained for and the fact that no speed no steering.Harsh lessons for me .

I recommend tuition not just quals!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck Matt
 
We bought our first boat last year, which needed a lot of work (much more than we thought) which wasted time and money - quite common.
While the repairs where happening I did the VHF course (well worth while) and the PB Lev2 in a rib (again very informative), in the same area as the boat was to be moored for a bit of local knowledge.
We got our boat in the water in Aug last year and I so agree with Mike K. Doing it in a rib and on your own boat for the first time is VERY different. I didn't do any damage but one or two close shaves. So in my vast (less than a year experience) my top tips are
1) get some basic handling and navigation training
2) find an expert to go out with you the first few times on your own boat
3) ask and listen to advice you are given
4) most boaty people are only to willing to help - just shout
and finally for mooring
5) no matter how slowly you think to are taking things, go slower. Go round again if it doesn't work first time, practise, practise, practise in all weathers
 
Hi. This is just our 3rd season so my advice will be limited but for us, we bought a Monterey 218 cuddy which was a great starter for us. It set us back about 17k for a 4 year old. We started with the PB2 course which was ideal tuition for absolute beginners like us and helped us decide if boating really was for us. We loved the idea of boating and I had been brought up around it although my dad was a raggie :eek:! Knew I didnt want one of those saily, tilty thingys so a mobo was always gonna be for me but we just didnt know if the dream was going to live up to reality so it made sense to start small and learn one way or the other. Gotta say, the reality is for us even better than the dream! so, the following season, we upgraded to a 28ft sports cruiser which allows us to go further afield and sleep over in more comfort. We've just spent 2 weeks staying on her and enjoyed every minute! Yes it's a very expensive hobby especially when things go wrong...and they will for sure...but that said, we wouldnt trade it for anything! The quality of life it brings is second to none imho. I am now doing the Day Skipper theory online (on that I will say you have to be self disciplined enough to set aside the time to do it at home so maybe the classroom might be better??) because I want to learn as much as I can and the whole thing is just thoroughly enjoyable! Anyway, I've rambled enough but I really hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Go for it. You've got nothing to lose (except dosh :eek:) and everything to gain. Enjoy :)
Lisa
 
Matt1983 said:
Hi all, sorry for a first post that ask alot without giving anything first but i hope you dont hold it against me.

Having wanted one from my first visit to La Rochelle harbour aged 6, i'm finally going to be in a position to be able to buy a boat this time next year. My current plan is to buy something about 8-9m with a view to spending long weekends on it and pottering up and down the coast close to where its moored ( prob north Devon).

Firstly as i understand it i don't actaully need any qualifications to be incharge of the boat but as that would be retty much suicide for myself and anyone on the boat with me what qualifications should i actually get in the next year or so untill it buy it?

Secondly any other particular mistakes amateures make / don't budget for?
Click to expand...

For your plan do a day skipper course and vhf course.On the day skip pay attention to tidal ranges.
 
+1, if you are going to have a VHF on your boat, then the VHF short range certificate is the only essential thing that you have to do to be legal.

Start looking now for a mooring or somewhere to keep your boat. Mooring costs can be the largest element of boat ownership, and the mooring can also dictate to some extent what boat you buy.

Question: Do mobo's ever go on drying moorings? It's just that I have never heard of a mobo drying out. Raggies do that a lot (my harbour berth dries each tide)

I know I'm from the "other side" with a rag and stick, but apart from the fact I go a lot slower than mobo's, it's still boating so still faces much the same challenges.

This is our first full season with the boat, and over the winter we did the RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship, which gives a pretty good introduction to charts, navigation, bouyage, tides and Colregs. Certainly enough as a starting point so you have some idea once on the water.

I would suggest perhaps some practical boat handling training might be a good idea. That's where joining a club and getting experience on somebody elses boat might be handy.
 
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You've had a lot of good advice already, but here's my tuppence worth.

When we were in your position we did PB2 which was useful on so many levels, before we did it I wanted a sports boat, after we'd done it we bought a MF625 which more suited our needs and the area we're in. I then did VHF and have since done Yachtmaster theory.

From where you are at now I'd do PB2 to learn the practical basics of boat handling and Dayskipper to learn to learn how to read charts, understand tidal ranges etc. As already said you need a VHF certificate to legally operate a VHF radio which is a must.

So far as the course are concerned, if you can, go on recommendation rather than just picking one, although all RYA instructors are of a standard, some are better than others at giving you general advice and local knowledge during the course.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
we did it differently.. Blatted about with no training in the first year in a little 17ft bowrider but importantly loads of advice from this forum.. 2nd season changed to a 19ft cuddy and blatted around some more with some experienced forumites joining us to depart their knowledge.. Now have the 27ft cruiser a year on and am only now doing the courses mentioned gaining a good deal from them having got some experience first.. Not pragged any of the boat's::::: yet ;)
 
Hi Matt, all the advice you have received is of great benefit, and I guess each will arrive via a different route, so thought it might be of benefit if I explained mine:

I notice that you never actually mentioned if you had been out on a boat before or not - might seem like a stupid question, but if you haven't been on the type of boat you are thinking of purchasing, perhaps before you try anything else, aim to go along with another boater and ride along, help where you can, listen, learn.

My first serious experience was May 2010, when a good friend invited me to help crew his 61' sports fisher from Fort Lauderdale to New York - 1,200 miles in 4 days... a true baptism of fire, which gave me the bug.

I enjoyed it so much I quickly followed that with a long weekend on the Norfolk Broads - a 45' Broads Cruiser certainly helped with basic boating techniques. Just me and my step-daughter, both novices.

I then thought about holiday chartering and flotilla sailing, which highlighted the possible need for an ICC, the route to which then was a minimum of Day Skipper.

I decided to do a DS Power tidal course but met some women at last year's Southampton boat show who suggested that rather than power, I should take sail. Why? You learn more, and you get a 10 metre power rating with a sail day skipper anyway! Simples!

They also suggested I took the course in Gibraltar rather than the UK. It's tidal, lower costs, more fun, you sail over to Africa across the Straights (how cool was that).... so did that last November, including the radio course.

So, that gave me the ICC and some good practical, with some nav knowledge & passage planning capability (also courtesy of the theory, done on-line).

I then went boat shopping this Easter down at Port Solent. Ancasta (Geraint) and the rest of the team were most helpful. I bought a Sealine S28 built in 2002. A perfect first boat and not too far from what you seem to be considering.

Sea-trials were great, and on my maiden voyage, ran aground after less than a mile (see a previous post of mine)....

Not one to be defeated, I finally re-launched last weekend and on Sunday cruised over to Yarmouth, then back to Cowes for lunch, before returning to Port Solent - 50 miles without a hitch. Brilliant! No better feeling!

In 10 days time, I'm taking the boat on the RYA cruise to Cherbourg, Carteret and on to Guernsey before heading back to Cowes for the 'Big Splash' - may even have a vacancy for a ship's mate if you're interested!

Anyway, thought the above would give you another insight into how I got to a point you seem to be striving for. Wishing you the best of luck, cheers, John - Elsie May
 
A few more thoughts

All good advice from other posts. In addition, remember insurance, annual engine/leg servicing (parts, oil, etc plus labour if you need it), antifoul, anodes, lifting in and out, storage ashore - berthing in general in fact - and of course fuel. There is a rough rule of thumb which others may comment on that you should estimate about 10% of the purchase price as the per annum running costs and I have found that to be true albeit for a larger boat than you might buy as a starter. All of the above apart - there is literally nothing like being out on the water. I spent many hours on the beach watching the boats and it is a truly wonderful feeling to be part of the view instead of watching it - have fun
 
I wont tell you my story as I cant remember that far back to when I started boating which was about 30 years ago, but It is essential that you get the theory sorted and then gain as much practical Knowledge as you can, take the offers of crewing when ever they arise, join a club, get your name down for crewing on some yachts.

When you have done all of that, start researching the boat that you want,when you think that you have done, do some more research, i would honestly say that you should spend 90% of your time researching for your boat and 10% looking for it, your first boat probably wont be your last as is mainly the case.

What ever you decide good luck, as said before "its the most fun you can have with your clothes on"
 
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